The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have formalized a collaboration to supply telecom sites with renewable power, following an MoU signed at the NCC–REA stakeholder forum in Abuja. Under the agreement, telecom base stations will be able to source electricity from both existing and forthcoming mini-grids, a move expected to cut operating costs and expand broadband in areas that either lack national-grid access or have unreliable supply.
NCC Executive Vice‑Chairman Aminu Maida, represented at the forum by Executive Commissioner for Technical Services Abraham Oshadami, stressed that dependable electricity and digital connectivity are interdependent foundations for national progress. He noted that without stable power, telecom infrastructure cannot be maintained, and without connectivity, communities cannot fully capitalize on electrification efforts.
To speed up broadband rollout, the two agencies will coordinate planning across the energy and telecommunications sectors and share geospatial information on current and planned projects to pinpoint communities where power and connectivity initiatives converge. REA’s Executive Director of Technical Services, Umar Abdullahi, highlighted that soaring diesel costs have blocked wider telecom expansion, explaining why commercial incentives have been insufficient to extend coverage across roughly 40% of the country’s territory.
